Enterprises need to pay attention to comply with Orders 248, 249

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Mr LeThanh Hoa

How do you assess the impact of Order 248 and 249 on the production and export of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products to China?

Order 248 only requires registration for food exporters to China. Enterprises exporting input materials are not subject to this application. In general, the two orders 248 and 249 do not have much of an impact on agricultural enterprises. However, the agricultural sector must pay attention and have early adjustment policies.

Enterprises that have not yet registered before November 1, 2021 will register according to the relevant provisions in Article 8 of Order 248. Enterprises that have the need to export food to China in the future should also register soon for the competent authorities to summarize and send the list to the General Administration of Customs of China.

With Order 249, enterprises are responsible for food safety even if the product has been exported to China. Therefore, businesses need to pay attention to choosing reliable and secure partners to help keep records (minimum 6 months), in addition to factors such as warehousing and transportation. Another factor that businesses need to pay special attention to is hygiene when processing and packaging food, such as wearing gloves during production, having clear regulations with warehouses and factories, choosing factories that provide clear, transparent, traceable raw materials.

The requirements from China are akin to those of developed countries. Therefore, enterprises should pay attention to strictly comply with the provisions of Orders 248, 249, to avoid export suspension.

In the future, how will SPS Vietnam Office coordinate with relevant units to guide enterprises to adapt better to the provisions of Orders 248 and 249, sir?

SPS Vietnam Office will closely coordinate with units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in guiding and providing information for businesses to adapt to China's Orders 248 and 249.

One of the main contents of the cooperation will be to combine the National Agricultural Extension Center to deploy good agricultural models. On the basis of AseanGAP standards, enterprises will develop and build planting and rearing areas to meet new standards.

In addition, the SPS Vietnam Office will cooperate with the Plant Protection Department in implementing training on technical standards, building documents for enterprises to respond to Orders 248 and 249. SPS Vietnam Office will organize many training sessions and forums from now to the end of 2021 for large food processing and exporting enterprises to understand all specifications from production, harvesting, packaging, to transportation and circulation.

The technical manager of the enterprise needs to firmly grasp the regulations and technical standards in quality supervision. The Chinese side can check online at any time, in the spirit of Orders 248 and 249.

It is said that in the long term, not only with Order 248 and 249 of the Chinese market, but also adapting to the changing regulations of other markets and overcoming technical barriers is a very important factor that helps Vietnamese agriculture and fisheries grow stably and sustainably. What is your opinion?

In fact, large or FDI firms often “standardize” better than domestic firms. Therefore, not only should they adapt to Orders 248, 249 but enterprises need to carefully study information about other exporting countries' markets.

After guiding the regulations and procedures for exporting to China, the SPS Vietnam Office will continue to coordinate with relevant units in the agricultural industry to provide specific information on each individual market such as the EU, the market of countries in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) or Northeast Asia, avoiding unnecessary problems in terms of technical barriers.

Thank you very much!